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The Blacklist - Leonard Caul (No. 62) - Review: "Bulletproof"

Apr 27, 2015

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"Save me. I'm down man, I'm dying to meet you, no.
With the pen brushing in my thumbs now. I'm thinking, don't let me go.
Don't let me go, don't let me go, don't let me go."
- "Save Me" - Glass Animals

The Blacklist has been away for far too long. Three weeks had gone by since the intense cliffhanger, at the end of "Vanessa Cruz", that anything would have been welcome in terms of answers to Red's fading condition. However, The Blacklist excels at many things, not the least of which is returning from a hiatus with stellar episodes. Earlier this season, the show returned from a nearly three month break to air "Luther Braxton", an exceptional episode and now, equally impressive, is "Leonard Caul", which I consider one of the best episodes of the season. It is the first of the four remaining episodes of Season Two and I would say The Blacklist is off to a great start.

When we last saw our characters, Liz and Dembe had been protecting Red from further calamity after being shot by a sniper. Roll credits and three weeks later we arrive at last Thursday's episode, "Leonard Caul". The hour picks up immediately where we left off and we find Liz and Dembe racing to get Red to a doctor. However, this is Red we are talking about, who has prepared for every uncertainty. I love the fact he has workers (in this case medical personnel), during their day-to-day activities, drop what they are doing the moment they hear their bat-phone alerting them to Red's circumstance and seemingly difficult situation. It was such a great treat to see that part of Red's world and something that fits so perfectly with his lifestyle.

Bleeding, extremely vulnerable and at a risk of losing his life, Red still manages to give Liz the next name on the blacklist - Leonard Caul. We learn later that Caul is the man in the apartment from a few episodes back ("The Deer Hunter") that Red was supposed to meet, but chose instead to help Liz by bribing the witness (The Samoan) and missing his opportunity. Red gives Liz this name because he knows Caul will find her even though she can't find him and Caul is the only one who can open The Fulcrum.

This is where many pieces of the puzzle Red has been accumulating over the course of Season Two come together. And although it didn't happen the way Red most likely envisioned it, The Fulcrum, and all those pieces of the puzzle, did save his life. We have the 'silver suitcase' from "The Kenyon Family" episode; The rustic 'key' Red retrieved from Pepper (Thank you all, by the way, for putting up with me as that key and its purpose drove me crazy, Lol) all the way back from episode 5 of this season "The Front"; and, of course, The Fulcrum, that Liz had all along, but only realizing it in the "Luther Braxton" episodes. Having a big pay-off for closely paying attention to those elements made the episode exponentially better.

There are only three episodes left this season and if they are anything like last Thursday's then we are in for some great television. Red has proved just how 'bulletproof' he really is, escaping death's clutch time and time again. Even though it was Liz who ultimately 'saved' him, it was only through Red's forward thinking and knowledge of The Fulcrum that she was able to do so. Without Red having the forethought in obtaining the 'silver case' and the 'key' from Pepper, who knows how badly the events of "Leonard Caul" could have turned out?

The Director is easily being groomed to be the next 'big bad' for Red and the Task Force. The way Liz handled him shows how much she has transformed since the woman we saw in Season One Episode One. As with all things relating to The Blacklist, the more answers we get the more questions that arise. After Liz deals The Director a loss, he turns and comments about the resemblance she has to her mother. Fans have been speculating about Liz's mother since she was first mentioned in the pilot. Could she have been alive all this time? Will we get to see her before the season is over? Just when we thought we got all the answers when the contents of The Fulcrum were revealed the writers throw this in the mix and a new puzzle emerges. It would be a great story line if Liz's mother is truly still alive and it would no doubt make Season Three so much better.

I was thinking of making the tagline for this review be "Code 77", after the code Red's team uses to jump into action. Then I thought of making it "Save Me", because that is the title of the song in the first musical montage where everyone is literally trying to save Red. I finally landed on "Bulletproof" because, well, isn't that a perfect name for Red? However many 'Code 77's' he calls out for or however many people come to 'save' him, Red has a hand in how he ultimately stays in this world. Like I said, Liz may have been the one to save him, but she only did so because Red gave her the tools necessary, just like he gave the people receiving the "Code 77" the tools to do the same. He is the master of his world. He is bulletproof.

Red's Quotes

- "A confluence of Peril had entered your life. I wanted to be within reach, to have influence. I turned myself into the FBI to point you toward the truth that inevitably you would have to discover for yourself."
Red to Liz

Blacklist Theories

I wanted to begin including a section in my review dedicated to certain theories revolving around the shows main themes. Mainly the one about whether or not Red is Liz's father. I have noticed there are MANY clues supporting both sides and think it will be fun to list them here. I could at least try it out and would love feedback from all of you. I promise to remain unbiased and only state the facts and clues as I see them.

- The name 'Euclid' is said at least three times in the episode indicating where Liz and Dembe are at one point to Cooper, then to Mr. Kaplan. Also, The Director is told he lost a man on Euclid. "Euclid" is widely considered the "Father of Geometry". I am not saying that because we hear the word Euclid it automatically means Red is Liz's father, but I do believe that it is not a coincidence the writing team chose to use that name. Clues like this are constantly thrown in to episodes to play on the whole father/daughter theory that is circulating.

- Red tells Liz that "it was only a matter of time that my life would jeopardize yours". What could he mean by that if he wasn't the father?

Other items, for example, that would have gone in here are the phone call from Season One Episode 10 from Liz to Red where she flat out asks him if he is her father. This section is not to say one way or another if Red is Liz's father, but to provide clues so we can debate the issue, which I, and hopefully you as well, think will be fun.

Music from the Episode

- "Save Me" - Hanni El Khatib
First Music Montage - Red's medical team begin preparations to save Red; The Director is updated on Red's situation; Leonard Caul tracks Red & Liz's escape via traffic camera footage.

- "Exxus" - Glass Animals
Liz calls Tom to warn him the building is surrounded; The Director confirms he wants Red eliminated.

Thoughts and Discussion

- Did you notice...Around the 4:00 minute mark, during the first musical montage, you can see one of the "Code 77" personnel working in a hospital get the text with a patient board behind them. The names of the patients are actual names of people that work for The Blacklist in the art and production department.

- I love the part where the paramedic gets the "Code 77" to go help Red and leaves in the middle of his shift because he got the call, Lol. Red did a great job at vetting his personnel.

- Mr. Kaplan's phone number is "* 77".

- In the episode titled "Vanessa Cruz", Mr. Kaplan is shown at the end recruiting Cruz to Red's team. Why did Red need her and when do you think we will see her again?

- I was glad to see Dembe get more than one line in a row. Season Three will be that much better for making him a series regular.

- I did have an issue with how Liz treated Red near the end of the episode. He was just trying to explain himself and give Liz what she wanted all along - answers. However, Liz just wanted him to 'lie'. At times she acts like a petulant child.

- Now that we know what the 'key' is for, the question now becomes - Why did Pepper have it? Why didn't she tell Beck about it? What was her relationship to Red? I suppose now that she is dead then all of this is moot, but it would still be nice to have some answers.

- We know that Liz trusts Red. Caul said that if you trust [Red] then you will show it to me (referring to The Fulcrum interface). Then Liz shows it to him.

- Did you notice...When Liz is showing The Fulcrum to The Director the word Reagan appears three times. The Reagan-Gorbachev talks also appears.

- The scene between Nik and Tom was very enjoyable. I wonder if we will meet Nik again in the future? The ominous warning Tom gave him about being indebted to Red suggest we will making it something to look forward to.

- Mr. Kaplan is such an enjoyable character to watch. When she took down those two FBI imposters it was such a great scene. I laughed when she produced the $500,000 for Nik, telling everyone that Red is prepared for all contingencies.

- Did you notice...Keeping up with the Russian theme we have been seeing - among the items in Red's flat are Russian nesting dolls. Other items in the flat are lots of books (mostly about art and politics). There is also a picture that Liz holds up and takes a photo of using her cell phone (a very old cell phone I should add). The picture appears to be of a young Liz sitting on the lap of a woman who is sitting on a swing. The face of the woman is obscured due to a flash of light caught when the photo was taken. Who could that be? Could it be Liz's mom? What do you all think?

- Also on display on the mantle is a graduation picture of Liz and men wearing military uniforms.

- Did you notice...Red's apartment had some interesting themes as I stated. One thing that caught my eye was the painting. It is by Pieter de Hooch and titled "Woman hands over money to her servant". What caught my eye was that it was right next to the scene where Liz notices the photo of the woman with a child in her lap that she snaps with her phone and the painting is also of a woman with a child nearby tugging at her dress. (Incidentally, the other painting is by Andrei Rublev, a prominent Russian painter from the 14th and 15th century. It is of St. George)


Thank you for checking out my review! Please comment below so we can discuss the episode and the series some more. Have a great week everyone! Also, don't forget we are conducting a "Live Discussion" this, and every, Thursday night during The Blacklist. If you would like to participate, just check SpoilerTV's Homepage and click on the "Live Discussion" link for The Blacklist that will be posted a few minutes before the episode begins to air.

About the Author - Geo N
Geo N is from Detroit, MI. His favorite shows include The Blacklist, Hell On Wheels, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, LOST, The Leftovers, The Strain, Sons Of Anarchy, Sleepy Hollow and countless others. When he's not watching tons of TV, he enjoys reading, playing hockey, comic books, weightlifting, and writing. Thanks for checking out my post.
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20 comments:

  1. As usual, your reviews are great! I loved this episode, mostly because it gave us so many answers and only added one more question to the pile.
    I agree that Liz's comments at the end didn't make sense. You either want the truth or you don't, geez. Then again, this is Elizabeth now-I-trust-Red-now-I-don't Keen...
    Personally, I think he's her dad, but that's just my opinion. Maybe you should make a poll, hehe.

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  2. Great review for a great episode, we had answers and we get new questions, so perfect Blacklist style.
    Red is always prepared for every possible scenario, that is why we love Red. This episode did push me al ittle towards Red being Liz father, personally i want Red to be her father mostly because it would make sense in the end after all he did for her, it would be a bigger payoff for me, but i'm sure whatever the answer is, it's going to be satisfying so i trust them not to screw it up. Im just gonna fasten my seatbelt and enjoy the ride till the season finale.

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  3. Thank you for the kind words!


    Lol, I love the name you give Liz - "Elizabeth now-I-trust-Red-now-I-don't Keen" -


    Lol, A poll sounds great! maybe I will do one in my Review of the penultimate episode or the finale.

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  4. Thank you for the saying so! I appreciate it!


    That is perfect Blacklist style - a few answers then new questions.


    And I couldn't have said it better regarding the paternity theory - "...i'm sure whatever the answer is, it's going to be satisfying so i trust them not to screw it up. Im just gonna fasten my seatbelt and enjoy the ride..." - Well put!

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  5. Awesome attention to detail! I love your reviews. I found Liz's reaction frustrating too. Her character is not likeable. Through both Spader's performance and the way Red has been developed, we end up sympathizing more with him. I do think a lot of it is in Megan Boone's delivery. The character seems disjointed. The Blacklist works much better when Red and her get along.

    With the re-addition of Tom, the Blacklist feels a bit heavy on the characters. Samar, Aram, and Ressler were hardly missed. And once again, the FBI could not locate the man. He located Liz. We barely need the Task force. ;)

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  6. I always love your attention to detail in your reviews, thank you for that.


    I will add details later to your main theme of is he or isn't he her dad - be careful what you wish for because it is going to be along list all the way back to Season 01. For me personally a DNA test could solve it in 30 seconds flat and Red not telling Liz 'i want nothing but the truth, but lie to me when it suits me' Keen who her bio-father is now [because it would put you at grave danger] well if you have enemies like the Cabal, you deserve to know. How much more danger can she gets in? going off looking for answers herself/or asking for help/playing a dangerous game with her SS tattoo bearing Ex [who she still calls Tom for some reason] might get her one step closer to death anyway.


    Red should tell her and keep the audience in the dark. Easy as PIE. There seems to be a major disconnect between logic/continuity/characterisation - the show feels like it is written by different people. The only ones consistent are Red & his team - Cooper/Samar & Aram. Ressler who? is he still not the show? and don't even get me started on Tom the bum driving a Mustang, doing pushups & blaming Red for being the catalyst of Liz's insane life when he himself should have been less selfish and sacrificed himself for "love".

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  7. read an interesting theory from other site.The Cabal was behind Tom and the Major.They're groomed for chasing Red.Apple man was also sent by Cabal,because he must know Tom hid the box underground but did nothing to investigate him.Berlin was a puppet manipulated by the Cabal becasue he wanted to take revenge to Red for his daughter's death.Eventually, the Cabal is the big bad of the show.

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  8. Thank you Hestia, I'm glad you enjoy my reviews!


    Lol, I know I should be careful what I wish for because that list can get pretty lengthy I'm sure. I agree with what you are saying - how much more danger can Liz get in? Red should just tell her the truth already. Unless there are more villains out there that want to do Red harm which could be the case I suppose.


    I understand what you mean about the writing. I haven't seen much of Ressler, but the issue is that The Blacklist is utilizing so many of it's characters and Red and Liz will always need the majority of the screen time so some of our favorites get pushed to the back (like Ressler).


    And you are so right about Tom - he should look at himself first before he talks about Red and the damage he has done to Liz.

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  9. Thank you Ashley!


    Lol, I love that line - "We barely need the Task Force" - that's funny. I was just speaking to a friend of mine that the season one Task Force and Villains were much better. the Task Force was a s much fun to watch as they solved the case as the Villains were causing all the trouble. It has really been a big change as season two has progressed.


    Very good points, thank you!

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  10. That is interesting! I never thought that Tom and The Major could be puppets of the Cabal.


    But I was always under the assumption that Berlin sent the Apple Man to look after Liz and Tom?


    I do agree that the Cabal is the current big bad and will be for some time, but I think there is another big bad that the show will ultimately get to. Perhaps whomever is #1, 2, or 3 on the blacklist? Who knows? But the Cabal storyline will get boring if they are the big bad for the remainder of the show's run, which will probably be 5 or 6 seasons total.

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  11. Great episode.

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  12. Red is the No.1 on the list.A lot of people speculate that.Apple man said her husband didn't work for Reddington. I thought apple man was sent by Fitch, but he also surveilled Diane Follwer. If Tom and The Major were puppets of the Cabal, Red could be fooled around since years ago?He didn't know the Cabal had been after him.
    I'm not sure the show will lalst 5/6 seasons depending on the ratings and quality now.

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  13. What about the damage Liz has done to Tom? It works both ways. According to Red, Tom was completely committed to Liz, and for his trouble he was nearly bled to death in the pilot, had his thumb broken (by Liz), shot twice (Liz again), thrown in a hole and harshly interrogated for four months (Liz again) during which time she never asked if Tom really loved her (he did). The after killing an innocent man to protect Liz from the consequences of her own crimes, he comes back for her and for his trouble he gets stabbed by Nazis and very nearly killed by The Major, who very likely is still looking for him. What I'm not buying is why either of them actually care for the other anymore: Liz strikes me as far too narcissistic to make a decent love-interest, even for one as psychologically damaged as Tom.

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  14. Given how shot-through with Cabal members both the FBI and CIA are as of episode 19, my guess is Liz and (likely) Aram and perhaps Navabi will wind up leaving the now-compromised FBI black site and work directly for/with Red in Season 3. The previews seem to indicate Navabi is a Cabal agent - I'm betting she turns out to be loyal to Red. I don't think the show's producers would telegraph something that obvious on the previews, especially as we know Dembe won't die. If so, it will be interesting to see what happens with Tom's character - he could wind up in the Liz's sidekick role currently occupied by Ressler. It wouldn't surprise me if the writers draw out the will they/won't they arc with Tom and Liz, much the same way they've drawn out the Red/Liz daughter/not daughter arc with nothing definitive until mid-season next year. Hopefully Ressler dies a spectacular and heroic death in the finale.

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  15. Yeah but all that started because tom lied about who he really was and MARRIED her, Lol. Tom deserved everything he got. Liz broke his thumb, big deal - Tom made up an entire persona just so he could marry her.


    And lying about one who one really is something ordinary couples do everyday?

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  16. Wow, you're pretty twisted - lying to someone merits being shot & tortured? In dating, it's common for people to hide their past, to take an interest in things they aren't really interested in, etc. for the sake of the person to whom they are attracted. A major reason why so many relationships fail is because people try to be someone they aren't. Tom's major sin, lying to Liz about who he is, is actually pretty normal (not that it makes it right, but after all, we're talking about a fictional story here). And in any case, none of that is why Liz did what she did - as I stated.

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  17. I agree that he owns Liz nothing after she held him prisoner for 4 months. But Tom is far from saint. He used Liz to infiltrate Post Office and get the list of task force member for Berlin. It's partly his fault Meera was killed and Cooper almost died. He also beat Liz up when she find him at hes secret lair.

    Presumably from his point of view it all was necessary to protect himself and Liz from worse danger that is Reddington, but why he thinks Reddington is worse than Berlin was never explained. And if Liz is in such grave danger wouldn't keeping her in the dark only make it worse?

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  18. Very interesting theories! I don't think Ressler will die though. As far as the relationship between Liz and Tom is concerned the writers could create a whole lot of scenarios and episodes with their twisted relationship central to the story arc. I'm excited to see where they go with it.

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  19. Lol, lying to someone does not merit being shot & tortured (not always, anyways - ;) ). What I am saying is that Tom deserved everything he got. He knowingly deceived Liz into falling in love and marrying him. He robbed her of some of the best experiences she could have had. That's huge, don't you think?


    And I will go back and rematch those scenes, but everything Tom did was tainted by the fact that he was;t who he said he was.

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  20. I would have chopped his thingie off, just saying, from my point of view and every detail of his shadiness in season 1 and even parts of season 2, would have made me throw him in the sea and watch him get eaten by sharks ;-) He was the catalyst for everything that happened with Berlin, which resulted into him getting captured. Even if you take that out of the equation, she can't trust Tom/Jacob. No trust is no relationship. But yes, I would totally be a-moral & vindictive when it comes to lying, cheating, abusive, manipulating, fake named psychopaths who caused my colleagues life, almost my boss's and an innocent man.


    Oh Btw, Geo, to get back to the father Q. I have a mega list on tumblr, but i will keep it short and to the point.
    1) Red has never lied to Liz, it has been confirmed by the writers, the producers and on screen several times.
    2) One major clue in the last episode, Red said that Both her parents were in foreign intelligence and he knew her as Katherina..well when Liz was born, even 9 months pre-birth, Red was still in the academy ;) One time Liz asked him why her in 1x03, even though there were numerous reasons, Like tom, the fulcrum etc. He said because of her father, not her mother, who died in weakness and shame. I don't get where Liz got the idea that Red was in love with her mum. I bet he is in love/obsessed with her though..why? beats me, i am not like her character at the moment.

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